The Santa Monica incident was in fact a great display of disciplined , professional airmanship after a mechanical failure due to causes beyond his control. Many others in a similar position have destroyed their airplanes, passengers, citizens and property doing the instinctive things rather than the right thing.

The man flew over a Boeing 737 to land a Husky on a taxiway in broad daylight... Sure, we can wait for the investigation report to come in, but I have a hard time envisioning how this is not squarely his fault.

A taxiway that used to be a runway, if I'm not mistaken. Here's a view from short final to what is now Taxiway C: https://www.google.com/maps/place/John+Wayne+Airport/@33.6837663,-117.8609753,52a,20y,207.56h,82.17t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80dcdeedcbab40ef:0xc941e8f5c31119e2!8m2!3d33.6761901!4d-117.8674759

I'm not defending his landing on a taxiway by any means, just supplying facts. If he hadn't landed at SNA for quite some time, one could understand his possible confusion, but that doesn't excuse him. It's his responsibility as PIC to make sure he has all the information available for his destination airport. Harrison screwed up, as all pilots do from-time-to-time, but this mistake was a dangerous one.

Thanks for the correction. Even if he thought he was landing on the runway or if he was disoriented when he made his turn to final, the big yellow stripe down the middle and the yellow stripes on the side should have been shouting at him that he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Nice photo, but it's missing one important feature in regards to this thread - a 737 sitting on it. Regardless of whether it's a runway or a taxiway, if an airplane is on it you don't directly overfly that aircraft in order to land on the same piece of concrete.

1) 1999 helicopter crash- According to the NTSB report, Ford was late adding power and his CFI was not monitoring his actions closely enough, which caused the crash.2) Running off the runway in Lincoln in 2000- Had a tough time finding info on that one, however "being blown off the runway by wind" suggests at least some of the blame is on the pilot.3) 2015 crash- Engine failure, seemingly not attributable to him, just an unfortunate situation.4) Landing on the taxiway- I won't officially assign blame till the official report, however I think it is fairly obvious the blame is on Ford here.

Fault does play into my decision, as 3 of these 4 incidents are seemingly partially if not wholly attributable to Mr. Ford. We are in an industry where safety should be and is the single most important factor, and seeing this many incidents that are attributable to him is to say the least concerning. I have the utmost respect for Mr. Ford and everything he has done for the aviation community, however, I think we can all agree this apparent pattern is cause for concern.

I am not too sure of your assessment regarding responsibility.It looks like the CFI was responsible in 1. That was the CFI direct responsibility! A very expensive learning experience for both I am sure.

Not sure regarding number 2, however I have been on runways where there was steady light wind down eh runway and sudden gusts that exceeded cross wind capability of craft, lifting a wing etc May not have been a pilot error but instead unavoidable. I was lucky to make go around instead of banging wings or props and there was no indication of any gusts known before this happened. "To an even greater degree than the sea..."

3. engine failure...that can be pilot error (too lean for too long) but not usually, mechanical things do break. Must assume that it was not pilot error for now.

This leaves us with one specific landing in question, and that landing did not cause any injuries or damage. I think HF needs to asses his abilities at this time though and decide whether to fly alone any longer or make sure he has a safety pilot with him. He can afford it if he wants to continue.

I learned in L2 and L3 craft, hand propping etc. It is probably good that he was in such a versatile small craft as the Husk for this landing.

"may not have been pilot error" is about as wishy-washy as you can get to say "Yeah it's probably pilot error" -- which it was.

He was logging PIC (Pilot In Command) during the helicopter crash so guess what - he's responsible for that one. Unless it's an instruction flight to a student pilot being a CFI doesn't make the other guy responsible. This is a huge topic with lots of discussion so go read up... it's not as simple as "when you fly with an instructor you can put your hands behind your head and whistle Dixie."

I like Harrison Ford's movies. I like his work on hehalf of AOPA. I am proud to be a fellow helicopter pilot. However, having heard the audio from ATC and having read about the results, I conclude this pilot was confused in the air and should have not been landing at this airport at this time.

Maybe running low on fuel? Well, he could have tried the old MCAS Tustin, oh that's not there any more. Well maybe Mile Square in Fountain Valley, oops, not there anymore either., ahhh, shoot, gotta get on the ground, now! Maybe his was the best alternative.

Even living here in Brazil and being a Harrison Ford fan, I make an introspection about this event happened to him: When is it time for ourselves pilots to stop and realize it is time not to fly as single pilot anymore or to stop piloting definitively. Tough...

My concern/question was in his reaction "Was that airliner supposed to be underneath me?". At what point is a go-around considered? Does it happen? Sure, but for me, I'll go around and ask questions later...but that is just me, I know, as a pilot that may be overkill, but somethings not right , i'd rather figure it out at altitude and away from the action of landing. Still a fan, just a wake up call for him hopefully.

Yes, at the first sighting if an aircraft in your landing area, a go around should be executed with no delay or deliberation, unless you have an emergency that requires continuing beyond that aircraft and landing.

People age at different rates as we know. 74 may not be too old, but then it might be. I'm 66 and I sure hope someone will tell me before I do something really awful when I should no longer be flying. Maybe he is ok, but he ought to have an independent doctor giving him his medical, not someone who is in his pocket. I'm sure he doesn't want to stop flying, but he also likely doesn't want to kill himself or others flying. John Glenn was flying his P Baron at my home airport until he was 90 at high skill level. Even did the BPPP at CMH. But most of us will be dead by 90, so just because of a number doesn't mean you should or should not still be flying --- or driving a car for that matter.

I do annual evaluations of CDL drivers and see both ends of the spectrum. One guy in his mid-70s has no business at all operating anything bigger than a Hoveround while another guy got his CDL for the first time at age 74.

I think the "WHY" is obvious: he landed on a taxiway. There are sufficient marking differences between runways and taxiways he should not be making this mistake. It's a failure to maintain situational awareness. It's a failure to ask yourself "why is that AA 737 sitting on my runway?" It's a failure to do a lot of things that prevent the holes in the swiss cheese from lining up.

That's why I wonder if there's more to the story than the press is revealing. What was the visibility? Was he flying an instrument approach or visual? Was he having plane trouble? Did he go through the "I'M SAFE" checklist? Were they filming a movie?Although he's a well-known celebrity, I don't believe he's the type to deliberately break rules to show off.

If you look back at his history, there are more incidents than this one and the engine out landing. That is the basis for Chris's comment. Given the number of incidents, I'd be a bit suspicious too, although, I haven't really looked into the previous incidents. Admittedly, I only know about them from the article I just read, so I'm not making any judgements at this time.

Thanks Todd. It is indeed the number (if not the frequency) of incidents he's been involved in that triggers concern. Even though his landing was ultimately "successful", it wasn't safe. That he saw the 737 "on his runway" and didn't process the fact enough to initiate a go around is a safety concern.

I'm seeing two other previous incidents besides those. Of the two, one was as a student in a helo and it was determined his CFI was not paying enough attention to what he was doing, so he was late adding power. I find it difficult to hold that one against him. The other incident seems to be a runway excursion due to gusting winds. Again, I'm not sure I'd hold that one against him either, depending on the aircraft he was flying.

There comes a time when car keys and airplane keys have to be taken away from old folks before they get into real trouble. My mother was 92 when she finally agreed to leave the driving to me. Giving up driving and/or flying is not easy, but giving up a car is the worst.

Excuse me, but if his CFI-H "was not monitoring his actions closely enough" then was the CFI-H cited?And what was the CFI-H doing that he wasn't monitoring his actions on a helo landing?!?! Reading a book, "How to Land a Helicopter"?

Here is a link to the NTSB report if you are interested. It seems to me they claim both of them played a role in the crash. Hate to speculate, but report says Ford had more time in that type of helicopter than the CFI did, wondering if that could have caused potential complacency on the part of the Instructor?

KSNA is my "home field". Taxiway C is very distinct from 20L (which has REIL strobes, VASI, etc.) Red-over-white on the VASI is 50-70 feet AGL at the threshold. Not much clearance over the 737...of course he may have been higher / steeper since it was a Husky.

I once tried the "used to be" defense on a stop sign violation. The town put up a stop sign at the intersection down from my house when I was at work. Yep, ran it on the way home... I blew through it. The cop pulled in behind me in my driveway. I got off though, they hadn't put up the stop ahead sign. That stop sign mocks me to this day.

Clearly a loss of SA. If thrre is not a very good reason, expect clipped wings for a while. The danger to the 737 was overblown for journalistic porpuses but glad to hear that it "managed' to depart safely.

this is an open and shut case against a pilot who ought to know what an active runway looks like: hint- it has big white numbers like 9 or 27, and white boxes painted on the end of the concrete that shows where to put the aircraft down beyond. Also there might be dark rubber marks running down the concrete where other aircraft have already landed. Keep up Harrison, and pay attention...If you don't see these things at a large airport, go around and regroup...Most runways are wider than most taxiways I have noticed. Use the wider strip of concrete. good luck ...

It's difficult to believe one would think that flying over an airliner while landing on a "runway" is permissible? Was there no notice of the runaway number not observed,and what about all those landing zone wide white lines? Not very observant.While I am no expert the runways are clearly marked and one ought to be able notice them. This incident is a appalling.Maybe a better way of marking taxiways so airborne traffic can clearly see the difference.

If this had been me,and it could be. "who among us has not sinned" If this had been me it would not have been national news. A call from ground to call and that would be it. Price of celebrity I agree. And Santa Monica airport.

Having flown out of SNA for 3 or 4 years there is no excuse for landing on the taxiway on a nice day. IMO this isn't a flying issue but a medical one. There are tapes of him being confused as to aircraft type and using the wrong freq out of SMO on the departure and the obvious confusion in SNA.....when you see a 737 in front of your nose all of us would be going around. With no medical background at all a pure guess would be a small stroke or something related. Wishing Ford all the best, he has been a great rep for aviation.

Has his celebrity status as the EAA spokesman put him above everyone else. Is this 74 year old celebrity a safety risk to himself and others? To many incidents and risks to be deemed a safe pilot. Is his AME failing to do his job because of Fords celebrity status or is this the beginning of self certifying downward spiral for those that fail to recognize their inability to follow the rules and fly safely. More to follow !

I know Mr. Ford and know he would not deliberately create this mistake on purpose. I would like to invoke a different scenario regarding this incident. Harrison had been flying his helicopter several times recently. A helicopter, like his Husky, has a control stick between his knees and he would feel as comfortable with one as the other and maybe mix them up temporarily. He was confused, or forgot, what he was flying as reported by the tower. He identified his aircraft as a helicopter 3 times before he correctly identified his Husky. Helicopters don’t normally land on fixed wing runways and if he usually lands his helicopter in an area designated for them, he might just fly over a taxiway to get there. If he was thinking about landing on a helicopter pad rather than a runway, he would not line up with the runway but fly a helicopter pattern. Remember, he saw the airliner and on purpose, didn’t fly into it. He made a successful, safe landing, even if it was on the wrong piece of the airport. The taxiway he landed on was not occupied. I’m not saying he did not make a serious mistake, but I can see how it could happen. I am sure he will never do this again. I’d go flying with him anytime.

I am a 74 year old ATP, CFI-AIM with over 35,000 hours in various aviation pursuits ( flight instructor, airline pilot, bush pilot, charter pilot0 I have told myself that should I commit or allow another pilot I'm flying with to commit a serious error ( such as landing gear up ), I would not fly as PIC anymore, because it would be obvious there was a serious disconnect occurring in my brain that could lead to additional and possible tragic events in the future. I think Mr. Ford is about my age. Maybe it's time for him to make the same decision before tragedy strikes. I love Harrison Ford and all his cinema excellence. But what's real and true must not be denied. In American graffiti, his character of Falfa in the 55 Chevy was like a recreation of my life, also in a 55 Chevy in the early 60s. I'm not down on Harrison Ford and I know how heartbreaking it would be to fold one's wings, but I would hate to see him come to grief with possible peripheral damage.

Pilot medical assessment, by way of flight physicals, is an important public health function. Isn't the FAA, and/or HF's AME (Medical Examiner) even a little concerned? Solid rumor has it that HF is pretty much never not a big fan of 420.

It is time for a check ride by the faa. It appears he is not able make logical decisions when something inordinary happens, although he did ok when the engine quit, but did tear the airplane up a bit. It may not be his age. It could be a mixture of otc medictations causing it.

I can see where he would have been focused on wanting to be on the "FAR LEFT" side and avoid landing on 20R. Overflying the airliner wasn't the problem. Obviously one wouldn't fly right into it. The problem was the potential for another aircraft to taxi right into his path as he touched down. (Another good reason to be vigilant even while taxiing!)

I agree that missing the 737 wasn't the problem. Missing 20L was. That said, would there be 130+ comments on this without the pilot's name identification?An incident where a C-17 landed one airport short of the runway only got 165 comments.

Went to Youtube and searched on John Wayne Runway 20-L. It looked very obvious what was runway and what was taxiway, assuming of course the video was correct. I would think an experienced pilot would know that he would not land overtop of a plane on the runway.

Just for my education, what would be a safe overfly distance in similar condition? Will this "safe" distance be dependant on a/c overflying? How he must have flown, without raising so much dust?So considering his celebrity status how will he be executed? To be guillotined or hanged or electrocuted or poisoned or drowned with a heavy stone tied to his neck the old fashioned way, or any other modern way befitting his status ? Regards

ThanX for making it SO confusing for a layman.In every profession system is same.Some experts have tendency to make things confusing thus make them complicated.Some experts make it simple and approachableExpertise` of expert lies in making things simple not complicated. That's how I've been taught & trained.Regards

I certainly hope he is not too old. I turned 73 today and am flying. I am sure he would not want to hurt someone if he were flying. He just needs to fly with someone who can determine if he is still able of making correct decisions in unusual situations. That being said, an airplane holding short of a runway like the airliner was, is not something that should cause any confusion. It is common practice. It is also common practice to make a go-around if there is an airplane on the surface where you are about to land.

The author of the article was not really qualified to write the article. On short final the commercial aircraft taxied across the taxiway. Anyone who has flown into Orange County on hazy afternoon has a better appreciation of what probably happened. The taxiway and adjacent runway look like a perfect pair of runways ( which they used to be) fixated on the pair and instructed to land on the left he did just that. Not the first , not the last . FAA could have helped by writing TAXI on the taxiway.

A quick look at the FAA regs page for airports didn't find anything about labeling taxiways with 'TAXI'. The nearest thing I found were the standards for runway labeling - with the lettering size requirements, I don't thing TAXI would fit on the taxiwayhttps://www.faa.gov/airports/engineering/design_standards/

TMZ has the audio, likely from LiveATC.Net although they didn't attribute it.

Ford is confused, incoherent, mistakes his Husky for a helicopter, fails to readback the squawk code, fails to readback "switch to LA Tower", calls what he thinks is LA but he's still talking to Santa Monica... and fails to identify his position (location, heading, etc.) except in mumbling his altitude.

I somehow doubt mr ford had "celebrity status" that put him above everyone else..yes, the man is 74 years old,but from my understanding, he has had a pilots license for many years..even commercial pilots with all of the training and the computerized aircraft make mistakes..there are frequent reports of average guys with their pilots license who actually crash an airplane into a field,or a mountain or even on a runway for any multitude of reasons..give mr ford the benefit of the doubt as he did acknowledge seeing the American 737 and he did not land on top of it!!..supposedly in the last incident a few years back, the engine quit on his older vintage airplane,and he was praised for landing it on a golf course..the other one was several years ago and it was a helicopter..

Well regardless of who he is or what sort of "explainable" incidents he's had, when someone makes this kind of mistake that has the potential for catastrophic consequences for others, the FAA needs to take a good look.

As a retired airline captain (who's operated through SNA many times)if I'd done this, I would expect to be grounded until the completion of re-training and a sim check; possibly even a leg back through SNA with a check pilot.

PRESUMABLY SINCE I APPEAR TO BE THE ONLY MARY COMMENTING,YOUR NASTY REMARK WAS AIMED AT ME..NO NEED FOR THAT LGG AND I DO BELIEVE THIS WEBSITE IS FOR OBJECTIVE COMMENTS AND OPINIONS,NOT NASTINESS..YOU HAVE A NICE DAY SIR AND "HAPPY FLYING"...

Gee, I thought all those Hollywood snowflakes were concerned about climate change (formerly Global Warming).. Ford has specifically ranted about it.What is he doing emitting all that dangerous CO2 just to pursue his little rich guy's hobby??

Might just as well ask where the tower controller was looking after giving a landing clearance? Also. what was the F/O looking at out his side window, especially with the low app speed of the Husky, I would have made a comment! Not a substitute for accurate flying but it is a PCZ.

The controller has other things to do, too. I've been number ten to land at SNA, though that was a long time ago. Also, the tower is on the other side of the field and I've been in it. I'm not sure if even a Controller with superior depth perception would be able to determine if a small aircraft is landing on 20L or taxiway C from the tower.

Try a tower visit sometime and notice how difficult it is tell from there whether or not an aircraft on final is aligned with the runway or the parallel; especially if there's any crosswind. Also, SNA is a very busy place and the controllers can't afford to continuously watch every single airplane coming all the way down final.

As for the AA crew, especially in a two-person cockpit, the F/O has a lot more to do than continuously maintain a visual kamikazi-watch out his side window.

He has landed tens of thousands of times and one mistake. When you fly in a very congested airspace, airport, clearances, control tower, multiple runways, taxiways and lots more is easy to make a mistake. It happens daily all over the world and even airliners make mistakes. Not so long ago a huge military aircraft landed at the wrong airport just a few miles away.

GREAT JOB.ITS HARD TO FLY SOLO.IN A SMALL PLANE,SOME PEOPLE LOVE TO BITCH WILE WAITING FOR AIRLINES.NOTHING TO DO BUT TYPE AND COMPLAIN.LOSTA FACTORS INVOLE.WHX,TRAFFIC,HEY NICE JOB...BE COOL AND BE LIKE THE SEAGULL.U SOAR ABOVE GROUND PEOPLE FREEMDOM IS THE PRIVAGE TO FLY..HAPPY LANGINGS.YOUR NEW FRIEND FOR CANADA LG56